4 directors of Mumbai builder Kamla Landmarc booked in cheating case

The Vile Parle police have registered a case of cheating and criminal breach of trust against four directors of the company for duping a 47-year-old Powai businessman of Rs 4.37 croreTNN | June 25, 2016, 07:49 IST

MUMBAI: There is more trouble in store for controversial developer Kamla Landmarc. The Vile Parle police have registered a case of cheating and criminal breach of trust against four directors of the company for duping a 47-year-old Powai businessman of Rs 4.37 crore.

The complainant said he had paid the amount towards purchase of a shop measuring 3,260 sqft carpet area in Kamla Executive Enclave-9, a commercial complex, at Andheri-MIDC in 2007. But the developer did not hand over possession of the premises claiming the occupation certificate (OC) was awaited.

Deputy commissioner of police (zone VIII) Virendra Mishra told TOI the case was registered on June 21 against Jitendra Jain, Ramesh Jain, Jinendra Jain and their manager Ketan Shah. Mishra said the probe is underway. But a spokesperson for Kamla Landmarc told TOI that they were not aware about the FIR.

According to sanctioned plans, Kamla Landmarc was to build a six-storey commercial building at Andheri-MIDC. But the builder violated municipal building regulations and constructed two additional floors without permission. “The builder mortgaged the seventh and eighth floors to Sicom (State Industrial & Investment Corporation of Maharashtra). I was promised the shop in June 2009, after I made 90% payment in 2008. But till date, the developer made false promises that I will get possession once they get the OC. This is now impossible to get an OC from the BMC because of the illegal construction,” the businessman told TOI. “I even asked the builder to return my money or give an alternative place to no avail.”

But the spokesperson of Kamla Landmarc called the allegations baseless. “He seems to have misguided the police and concealed information from them. The police never called us for our say on the issue,” the spokesperson said. “He signed the agreement and made the payment, but didn’t take possession of the premises. We sent him several letters asking to do so and pay the balance Rs 45 lakh, but he never responded. The last reminder was sent on May 9, 2016.”

Early this week, TOI reported how hundreds of flat-buyers and investors of Kamla Landmarc have been protesting against the builder for collecting large amounts from them, but failing to hand over possession of their apartments and offices in various projects.